Politics And International Relations - Pathway In Global Security - Ma/Mres

at Keele University

Core Modules - Semester 1 and 2

SEMESTER 1

On both the MA and the MRes programme, you must study the core Research in Action module.
 

PIR-40095 Research in Action (15 credits)
Setting the scene for your master’s programme, this module provides an in-depth and hands-on advanced introduction to the various ways in which advanced empirical research in the social sciences is designed and conducted. You’ll be given an overview of key research methodologies and the different approaches to evidence and data gathering, including interviews, focus groups, questionnaires, documents and texts, as well as the ethical considerations when carrying out such activity. Staff currently engaged in research will offer guidance about the suitability of certain design methods, sharing their experiences of good practice and potential pitfalls. Working in small teams, you’ll then design and conduct your own small-scale practical research project. Students on the Global Security pathway have previously, for example, investigated attitudes towards humanitarian intervention in Libya, perceptions of UN peacekeeping, and public attitudes towards terrorism and how to combat it.

SEMESTER 2

On both the MA and the MRes programme, you must study the core Advanced Approaches to Politics and International Relations.
 

PIR-40132 Advanced Approaches to Politics and International Relations (30 credits)

In preparation for your dissertation, this module provides an overview of the philosophies, assumptions and approaches underlying the study of Politics and International Relations topics. It aims to equip you with the knowledge and skills to handle different concepts, frameworks and methods (normative and analytical) and use these in the generation of knowledge for your research project. Adopting an intensive workshop approach, you will examine how scholars have approached the issues of what to study and how to study, and the ways in which these issues are bound up with historical and current power structures within the world. For example, considering the nature of social science knowledge or key trends in Politics and International Relations, such as rational choice theory, game theory, institutional theory chaos and complexity theory.
 

Compulsory Modules - Semester 1 and 2
 

For the MA, you must study one core pathway-specific module in either Semester 1 or 2. All of the optional modules are 15-credit modules.
 

• PIR-40088 The Theory of Global Security (Global Security pathway)
  Engaging with key concepts like threat, risk, securitisation and vulnerability, this module offers an advanced introduction to the analysis of global security, from classical International Relations theory to what is known as Critical Security Studies. You will be exposed to the main theoretical traditions through which security has been understood since the end of World War II, focusing in particular on the post-Cold War period, and how shifting conceptions of security are allied to shifting understandings of the state, society, the economy, and culture. Through a range of seminar activities, including group discussion, you will engage critically with contemporary debates on security studies. Recently, for example, students have considered the nature of the history, language and space of security.
   
• PIR-40126 Maritime Security (Global Security pathway)
  Recent technological developments, changes in international law, environmental concerns and the emergence of maritime economies has radically altered our understanding of sea space. The sea is no longer a planar surface upon which wealth and naval power moves between states, it is now a place of wealth, a space ripe for commercial and scientific exploitation, a home in need of conservation. We have witnessed over the past few years the publication of maritime security strategies, an unprecedented territorialisation of sea space and an exponential increase in the quantity of ocean boundaries. This module takes you through the legal, historical and economic aspects of these developments and changes and explores the theory and practice of securing a vast, three-dimensional, fluid and dynamic environment. You'll be introduced to novel analytical methods, which demonstrate how the political can be revealed through the study of space.
   
• PIR-40126 War, Memory and Popular Culture (Global Security pathway)
  This module examines key issues in the study of war and memory. It examines reasons why states go to war, and considers interpretations as to how violence is perpetrated and why and how militaries train service personnel to kill. Using key historical examples, such as the Second World War, Vietnam War and Falklands War, you will examine how wars have been commemorated and represented in popular culture, how remembrance and commemoration work to foreground some experiences and silence others, how national identity relates to war and how ideas and practices of war are shaped by gender. You'll be introduced to critical interpretations of what war means and why it matters; and how understandings of war should be central to understandings of international relations today.

ACADEMIC ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

You should have a first or a good second-class honours degree or it's equivalent. Your undergraduate degree should be in Politics, International Relations or any social science subject (e.g Law or Sociology), or a humanities subject (e.g History, Philosophy, English, or Modern languages). 
 

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ENTRY REQUIREMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Where English is not a first language, evidence of english language competence will be required (IELTS 6.5 or equivalent, with a minimum of 5.5 in each sub-test). 

International - Full time £16,800 per year
 

The advanced research and cross-cultural communication skills you develop on this course, together with a critical insight into global concerns, politics, economics, governance and advocacy, place you in an excellent position to pursue a wide range of careers in the public, private and voluntary sectors.
 

Depending on your interests and passions, you could work for a political party, campaign or lobby group or pursue advisory and management roles in central or local government, charities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), international organisations, social research organisations, think tanks and universities.
 

Specialist routes include: diplomacy; public policy; development politics; conflict resolution and mediation; human rights and social justice; environmental politics; sustainable development; international law; international security; and cross-cultural communication. For instance, you can use the tools and insight gained on the Global Security pathway to help policymakers understand political, military, and economic trends around the world, identifying sources of potential regional conflict and emerging threats to the global security environment.
 

Our graduates follow a wide range of careers, working for governments, think tanks and NGO's as diplomats, advisors and consultants, as well as moving into broader fields, such as journalism and banking. Many of our alumni return to Keele to share their experiences with current students. Recent speakers, for example, have included a BBC correspondent, former British Ambassador and Governor of the Virgin Islands and former UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Somalia.
 

The personal and professional skills learned on this philosophy degree include clear and analytical thinking, originality, problem-solving, persuasive writing and speaking, innovative questioning and effective reasoning, all of which can open a wide range of careers.